Followers

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Last year, when I composed my New Year post, it was pretty cold. Looking back I listed the temperature at 32 degrees, well, fittingly, this year it's 42 degrees, but feels like its 34.

I don't know what sort of reflections to note. Maybe its the weather, or the restaurant, or all the other stuff, but I just don't feel like I want to say much.

Last year I made a few resolutions. I wrote:1. Find my calling. In 2008, I'm going to find a career which I am passionate about.(About a month later, I joined Taco Bell.)2. Run. The goal is to participate in 3 5k's throughout the year with the first in March.(I started strong, but was unable to run any 5 k's, and slowly stopped running, although I lost about 30lbs and have kept it off)3. Energize my faith. Finally, I have found a home and now I am going to re-charge my faith by renewing my faith. (This was a little easier. I've been attending Friendship baptist Church, and enjoy the services when I can make them.)

So as they say, two out of three ain't bad. Also, I made some predictions.

2008 Predictions:1. Batman becomes the top grossing film in 2008.(This was right on. Christian Bale faced off against Heath Ledger for the highly-anticipated, action-packed follow-up to 2005's "Batman Begins," conquering the box office with not only the biggest movie of the year, but also the second highest-grossing movie of all time -- behind "Titanic" -- sending the Joker laughing all the way to the bank. Total Gross: $530,750,228)2. Edwards wins the Democratic Nomination and eventually the Presidency.(Maybe not so much on this prediction)3. The New York Mets win the World Series.(Not even close)

So here's to 2009 and my new resolutions.

I would like to become more involved in the community. Maybe I'll join a Networking organization, or volunteer in the community, I might even begin substituting at the local highschools on my days off.

I am going to recommit to my resolution to run. As a goal, I would like to run at least 3 5k's in 2009.

Finally, I want to make a commitment to regularly attend church services at Friendship Baptist, even if that means, getting up at 9 am on a Sunday after closing the restaurant the night before.

As far as predictions go, I'm just not feeling that frisky right now. Maybe that will be a post later.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Well, thanks to Tim and Jessie for being such good friends and snagging some discounted tickets to the Pacers/Hornets game. It was quite a 'splediforous' evening. From grubbing on some eggplant and mu-shu, to finding Peyton Manning on the streets, to getting snubbed by Verizon, it was a great night.

But let me start from the beginning, our friends Tim & Jessie invited us to join them for a Pacers game. To make an evening out of things, we all decided to do dinner at PF Changs. Of course, Stacy & I shared a platter of our favorite, Honey Chicken. Tim decided to go out on a limb, and got the Pork Mu-Shu, while, Jessie grabbed some eggplant. Since the portionings at the restuarant were huge, both Tim and Jessie shared a little with me. Loved the mu-shu, and the eggplant was good, but you probably won't see me ordering it again. For drinks, we sipped on some Kirin Ichiban and a Bistro Ginger beer. I'm not sure Tim enjoyed his Ichiban, but its still worth a recommendation.

After dinner, Stacy got us lost in the mall. After cutting through Harry & Izzies (a rather upscale restaurant) we were able to exscape the death trap called Circle Center Mall. As we meandered our way to Conseco Fieldhouse, we entertained each other with a conversation about the philosophy behind the one-boobed female character in Wii bowling. If you've ever played the game you have probably noticed that the female characters are far from anatomically correct. On top of that, the prestigous Downtown Hooters sign was missing a lighted S, so it just spelled H-O-O-T-E-R, which I found fitting.

Now what I am about to tell you is true. He we are walking toward Conseco when we are passed by none other than Peyton 'MVP' Manning. He was wearing a long leather coat and was carrying on a gentle conversation with his companions. At this point, my mouth flew open. I was two feet from arguably the greatest QB in the history of professional football. And no, I didn't ask for his autograph, I didn't interrupt his conversation, or loudly yell "Go Colts", I played it cool. I thought about grabbing the camera, but it was burried deep in my pocket, and I didn't want to seem like a freak digging to get it.

Now on to the game, the Pacers lost. It happens. They played hard, and I was able to chatter on endless sports trivia to Stacy (which I don't think she appreciates as much as she should, these are nuggets of gold.) But it was a good game, the Pacers held the lead most of the way, only to lose in the last 2 minutes. They had Blue Moon on tap. And most of all, I was able to find some Ice cream for Stacy to munch on.

Since today's Sunday, I thought that this would be a good one to brighten everybody's day. It's a classic. I first remembered hearing this joke in middle school. Enjoy!!

Moses, Jesus, and another guy were out playing golf one day. Moses pulled up to the tee and drove a long one. It landed in the fairway but rolled directly toward a water trap. Quickly Moses raised his club, the water parted and it rolled to the other side safe and sound.

Next, Jesus strolls up to the tee and hits a nice long one directly toward the same water trap. It landed directly in the center of the pond and kind of hovered over the water. Jesus casually walked out on the pond and chipped it up onto the green.

The third guy gets up and sort of randomly whacks the ball. It heads out over the fence and into oncoming traffic on a nearby street. It bounces off a truck and hits a nearby tree. From there, it bounces onto the roof of a nearby shack and rolls down into the gutter, down the downspout, out onto the fairway and right toward the aforementioned pond.

On the way to the pond, it hits a little stone and bounces out over the water and onto a lily pad where it rested quietly. Suddenly, a very large bullfrog jumped up on the lily pad and snatched the ball into his mouth.

Just then, an eagle swooped down and grabbed the frog and flew away. As they passed over the green, the frog squealed with fright and dropped the ball which bounced right into the hole for a beautiful hole in one.

Here's a little joke that I was just sent in my email. I got a little kick out of it.

Two married buddies are out drinking one night when one turns to the other and says, "You know, I don't know what else to do. Whenever I go home after we've been out drinking, I turn the headlights off before I get to the driveway. I shut off the engine and coast into the garage. I take my shoes off before I go into the house, I sneak up the stairs, I get undressed in the bathroom. I ease into bed and my wife STILL wakes up and yells at me for staying out so late!"

His buddy looks at him and says, "Well, you're obviously taking the wrong approach. I screech into the driveway, slam the door, storm up the steps, throw my shoes into the closet, jump into bed, rub my hands on my wife's butt and say, 'Lets do it!'

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Here's another quick review...since I haven't done a decent beer review in forever.

Dundee Brewing Company is a craft brewing company from Rochester, New York, and one of two famous product lines from the High Falls Brewing Company. They like to brand themselves as the unique and individualistic brewing. Currently, they carry six standard brews, and a seasonal brew. In most variety packs, you get the standard six: Wheat Beer, Honey Brown, Pale Bock Lager, India Pale Ale, Pale Ale, and a Porter. The seasonal brew is typically purchased separately.

Before any tasting, what really stood out was the originality of the artwork on the label. I tried to research the artist behind the pictures, but at the time of the review, I was unable find any information on the pictures. The second thing I noticed is the special labels each brew got. Additionally, these 'taglines' are emphasized when you visit the Dundee website and click on the Ale/Lager description.

Here's a few (found on the bottle and on the website):Honey Brown: Be different. We’re not saying that you have multiple personalities. Or voices in your head. At Dundee Brewing Company, we understand that one day you feel one way and the next you feel a little different.When you’re in the mood for something different, Dundee Honey Brown is the perfect choice. It’s different because we add pure clover honey to an outstanding lager to make a uniquely drinkable beer. Sure, honey isn’t your ordinary ingredient in beer. But if you want ordinary, you’ve come to the wrong place. [Label features a drum playing bee]

Pale Bock Lager: Be optimistic. Certain things seem interminable. The line at the DMV. The commencement address. Winter. But take heart. Even the longest, darkest winter gives way to spring and a new sense of optimism that the best is just ahead. That thought—and an itchy wool robe—sustained the monks through times of fasting. Their reward? A bock beer with the power to rejuvenate the body and the soul. That, and the opportunity to exchange the wool robe for a nice burlap one. So when you’re stuck in the middle of that seemingly endless glass of mediocre beer, be optimistic. A Dundee Pale Bock awaits.

And my favorite label, the Pale Ale: Be Hoppy. Behold the hop. A flower, but too unsightly to be used for decoration. The ugly duckling of the flower family. Oh, but the secret it holds. Soak it in some water with the right companions and it surrenders its bouquet to use a corny flower metaphor. That unique hop flavor is the difference between a fine pale ale and more ordinary beers. Dundee Pale Ale understands the secret of the hop flower—the power to turn an ordinary beer into something extraordinary. And the power to make you indescribably hoppy. [The label features a cool looking Mr. Toad with an eyeglass and mug of beer]

Now on to the taste. Each brew was undeniably drinkable. The IPA was bitter, but on to the point of repulsion, and the Porter had a very robust taste. The Wheat Beer is an American style hefeweizen. It pours a cloudy copper-gold with a solid, foamy white head with above average retention, but this beer just lacks the typical glow of a wheat beer.

My favorite of the pack was the Honey Brown. Taste is very sweet, supports the texture but not as intense, very mild, with a creaminess in the back that is very inoffensive, lots of malt with little if any hop bitterness to speak of. The taste does not support the great texture of the beer. Overall, its a good beer, but falls short on the oomph factor.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Ahh, more Yule toys to enjoy. With a little free time, and a little Christmas money, we decided to finally get 'real' blinds for our bedroom and the rest of our house. After about 4 hours of work (I'm not to handy at this stuff), we were able to have a cool new bedroom. Lovin' the darkness...

Well, Christmas has come and gone. Love was spread, friendship was cherished, and now it's time for my inner-pirate to escape and take count of my bounty. One cool new toy is my 22 piece, stainless steel, knife set. It has hollow handles with a nice comfortable grip. Most of all, I like the stainless steel part. Stainless steel handles are the most durable of all handles, as well as the most sanitary. Many argue, however, that they are very slippery in the hand, especially when wet. To counter this, my Cooks set uses a curved design to increase usability and safety. Also, the high-carbon blades will not discolor and maintain sharper edges. Overall, this set is a very high-quality set and very eye appealing.

Monday, December 22, 2008

First, I need to say hi to my sister, Holly Jolly. I just found out that she's been reading all my recent blogs. This just goes to show you how nosy older sisters are.

Okay, now for my final post in this Christmas series. A little over a year ago, my grandmother past away. There's so much that I learned from her and so much that she gave me, I could never find the words to explain what she meant to me. She gave me the first Christmas tree that I could call my own. She loved this time of the year. And so today's picture is an Angel that she gave me several years ago. That angel used to set atop of that tree she gave me, but as we've got bigger trees, we've moved her to a safer spot as a decoration.

So with a very heavy heart, I present you with my angel, which Ruth gave me.

Last week was my championship in fantasy football. After dominating the entire season, I dropped the fantasy championship because Brett Farve and the Jets suck. To make things worse, I actually took Thigpen (320+ yards passing) and Ginn Jr. (1 rushing TD), out of line-up and replaced them with lowly 3rd tier players from the Jets (Farve, Jones, Coles, Keller).

This is a fairly new thing for the Quasebarth Christmas, but last minute present projects are numerous. The picture so's our table of cloth, which was meant for pants. It's not because we waited, but rather, we had too much to do. Kitty doesn't help much either.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Okay, so here's a quick one because I just got home from work (I did the graveyard tonight) and I have to get up in 3 hours to attend my father-in-law's Christmas gathering. Since I mentioned in-laws, as you can guess, today's necesity is holiday wine. The photo is a picture of a bottle of Honeywood, Holiday Cheer, which was given to Stacy and I as a gift from my marvelous friends, Ben and Megan.

Do you have any favorite holiday wines? I know Mallow Run has two holiday special wines with the Reindeer Red being my favorite. Oh well, I'm off to bed. Happy Holidays, everyone.

Here's one of my recent favorites, last year, we added this ornament onto the tree. It's a neat little Chihuahua ornament to represent our favorite Chi...Lola.

Do you have any favorite ornaments? When I was growing up, my mother would hang all of my birth ornaments. I think I had one every year until I was 18. (Not really, but it seems like that.)

Also, do you have any Christmas traditions associated with ornaments? Stacy and I purchased a pickle which we plan on doing every year with our children. If you haven't heard about the pickle tradition you can check it out here...Christmas Pickle Explanation

When Christmas comes around, and its time for all the wonderful decorating, I always seem to end up with a huge not of twinkle lights. Just like Chevy Chase in NL Christmas Vacation, I'm stuck with all my lights not working and I have to go through each bulb, one by one.

If you're into Christmas lights, and I mean into it, check out http://www.notenoughlights.com . It's an exclusive club of people who set up there lights to music. You get to use a fm radio statio to program. We have a house in our community that does this. It's awesome!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Wonderful ornaments. Talk about joy. On our tree we have a plethora of ornaments that have found their way into the Quasebarth home. This specific ornament was gave to us as a Christmas gift from Stacy's Aunt. As you can see, mine is pictured below and there is another with Stacy's name.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Ahhh...the advent calendar. Mr. Santa's been through a lot in the last 5 years. He's lost his nose to a tragic dog attack, and even the small heart which used to mark the days has disappeared. But he's still hung each year.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Today's item is dvd's. It's amazing how many Christmas specials are out there, and I'm pretty sure I own most of them. Here's my top three: 1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, 2. A Charlie Brown Christmas, 3. Dr Seusses: How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Monday, December 15, 2008

It's a very sad time for me. I have to go back to work tomorrow. No more Christmas vacation. Boo!

Here's today's item of Christmas glee. Unlike other households, Wine bottles at the Quasebarth household are properly dressed for winter. My amazingly talented wife, who is quite a knitter, put together this wine cozy for the holidays. Oh, and if you're reading this and you are on my gift list this year, avoid the picture because it will ruin the surprise when you open your gift this year.

We decorated our first Christmas tree in 2003, and we used these cute little Southwestern style ornaments to decorate the tree. Now the chili pepper lights have been replaces, and we've gone with a lot more 'traditional' ornaments, but we still hang the southwestern Santa every year.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Okay, so the wife didn't want me to post anymore about broken things around the house, which lead me to the decision to feature our Willow Tree Nativity Set. We received the set as a wedding present four years ago, and proudly display it every winter. This year we purchased the wisemen and will hopefully get the rest next year. It's one of my favorite Christmas displays at the house.

Okay, here's the idea. For the next 12 days, I'm going to spread a little Christmas cheer by letting all my readers know what a Quasebarth Christmas is like. Here's the first picture, it's of our little tear drop vase with some fake (and some real) winterbery.

Also, in a cruel twist of fate, Stacy's cute little tear drop vase was knocked over this morning. It shattered into a gajillion pieces, but the winterbery was okay and has been transferred.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Okay, so the last two days I've spent at the dentist. First, for my yearly check-up, then, for a couple of fillings. The first visit was uncomfortable and the second was horrible. In an effort to force a smile, I decided to post some Bill Cosby.

Just came across this on Peegs.com. I can't vouch for the validity, but if it's true, it is an awesome story about what makes a Hoosier fan and the extreme 'coolness' of Tom Crean. Courtesy of hoosier4life, posted at peegs.com:

Was in town for the holidays, and went to the college mall to start our day. While there my 4yo son and I had the pleasure to run into Tom Pritchard & Kory Barnett what 2 great kds they are. They came over and shook my sons hand and mine and were very nice about turning around and letting us interrupt their day.

So here is the best part of the day, around 3pm my son and I went over to see if we could get into Assembly Hall and just look around and take some pictures. As we walk in we see Coach Crean sitting at the scores table doing some paperwork. I shouted down and said hi to him and stated we just wanted to look around, so he tells me to bring my son down to the floor and let him look around. As we enter the floor Coach gets up and greets us, at which time my son instantly asks if there are any basketballs to play with. Coach says sure help yourself and feel free to shoot around as long as you like we don't have practice to 4. So as we shoot around on the court Coach brings over a brand new hat and program and signs them to my son with the words always work hard Tom Crean(How Awesome). I then have my son stand at center court for a picture, and Coach sees this and asks if we want him in the picture with us, which of course we say yes to. We stayed about 20-25 mins, and as we leave he says you sure you don't wanna stay and continue shooting hoops? What great Man we have as a coach and our players are just as exceptional.

I think I have found my favorite quote of the year, and we're only 5 games into the season. John Gasaway, author of the basketball blog, Basketball Prospectus, made this statement in a recent blog entitled, "Closing a Chapter: The NCAA bans Kelvin Sampson"

That was then. The current Indiana team spent last week in Maui, playing in a tournament whose tip times are dictated by the convenience of viewers several time zones away. At the press conference after his team lost by 26 to St. Joseph's, Crean actually choked up when he talked about how hordes of red-clad IU fans had filled the stands at the Lahaina Civic Center before eight in the morning local time to support a team of freshmen and walk-ons that just hours before had been blown out by 38 points.

I submit that if you have fans that will do that, and a coach who will not only notice and salute that fact but will actually get a little verklempt when he talks about it, your program is already operating at a very high level. It's going to take a while for the final scores to catch up to the truth, but this is already an elite program.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

A young man named John received a parrot as A gift. The parrot had abad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of thebird's' mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. Johntried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying onlypolite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to"clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrotyelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier andeven ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put himIn the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked andscreamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not A Peep, was heardfor over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door tothe Freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched armsAnd said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language andactions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and Ifully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and Unforgivable behavior."John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about toask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in hisbehavior, when the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

Saturday, November 22, 2008

I was just doing some browsing through the message boards at Peegs.com, and came across this post from bdhman. It's pretty insightful on the lack of success that Indiana has had in college football. More often than not, especially in my lifetime, IU has seen that back end of this rivalry. (If you can call it that)

Here's his post:

The Corso Years:Corso was here 10 years (73' to 82'). Overall he was 4 (losses) and 6 wins against PU. He lost his first three games and won 4 of the next seven, including two at Purdue. His largest margin of victory was 11 points, and the largest margin of loss was 21 point, although 3 of the losses were by 7 or less points. I was a student trainer for IU football during the 75', 76' and 77' seasons. I can tell you first hand that Corso mentioned Purdue everyday to his team and regularly challenged his players with "what have you done to today to prepare yourself to beat Purdue?". He used to say that if wanted to keep his job he had to win two games -- homecoming and Purdue. His results were mixed, but he and his his teams were always fired up to beat Purdue.

The Mallory years:Mal was here 13 years. He was 6 (wins) and 7 (losses) vs. PU. Like Corso, he lost his first 3 games, and then went 6-4 including 3 wins at PU. Mal got blown out once -- in 95' we lost 51 to 14. He had four losses of 7 points or less. Plus, his team BEAT PU 52 to 7 in 88' at PU (oh, for those days...). From day one Mal got it, and his teams always were ready for PU (except 95').

Cameron years:Cam was 1 (win) and 4 (losses) vs. PU. We lost three times by 43, 45 and 28 points. We also lost by 6 and won by 6 in 01'.

Dinardo years:Gerry lost 3 times to PU. The first two were close, but the last game we got bombed 63 to 24. It sure seemed like the players had given up by that point.Hep and Lynch years:You know the history here. Last year was magical, today was in keeping with all of the other disasters going on in the US. We got bombed.

Overall, we have have only won twice in the last 12 years. Maybe this is why the TV announcers said that Purdue considers ND their rival, not IU.

Simon recorded this 3 months after returning from South Africa, where he worked with local musicians and experimented with their sounds. At the time, South Africa was divided by Apartheid, a policy that separated blacks and whites, and many musicians were boycotting the country as a result (check out the Songfacts on "Sun City"). Simon's visit went over very well, and including South African musicians on the album gave it a distinctive sound that helped make it a huge hit.

This originally charted at US #44 in Oct, 1986. It was reissued with greater promotion in March, 1987 and hit #23.

This was the first single off Graceland, which won a Grammy for Album Of The Year in 1988.

The African Rhythms were supplied by the South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Simon would later produce 2 albums for the group.

This was Simon's first hit since 1980, when "Late In The Evening" went to #6 in the US.

Al Gore used this while he was running for Vice President in 1992. Simon has played at various Democratic fund raisers.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Congratulations. My favorite winery, Mallow Run, was awarded the Indiana's Governors Cup at the 2008 Indy International Wine Competition. According to the web, the Governor's Cup is awarded to the "Best Indiana Winery" as determined by overall judging of wines at the Indy competition.

What a year it's going to be? IU basketball. I'm pretty excited with the win over Northwestern State. Yep, I said it. It's going to be a long season, but it is resulting in some great articles. My favorite comments so far are from Eamonn's analysis in his article "The Morning After". Here's a few of my favorite comments:

On recognizing the new players,"After about five minutes last night, I had to admit something to myself. I didn’t know who was who. It’s sad, I know, but I doubt that I’m alone here, and I hope it’s not too bold of me to admit it. It took me a second to figure out that Verdell Jones was No. 12, that that wasn’t Devan Dumes, that Dumes was the off-guard wearing No. 33, and who is that little dude with the Rip Hamilton facemask on? That’s not Finkelmeier, is it? And oh my God is that Tijan Jobe?!"

On Tom Crean's enthusiasm for the job, "The best basketball coaches are salesmen, and Tom Crean could sell me a ticket to Kelvin Sampson: The Broadway Musical. He’s done the same sales job on his team. Effort will not be a problem this year, at least not anytime soon."

On the team's attitude and effort, "They are going to play hard. They are going to have good attitudes. All of that. Even when they’re not playing with a good attitude it will seem that way, because you can’t have worse attitudes than last year’s team, and as long as Matt Roth doesn’t smoke a crack pipe at midcourt and punch a cheerleader in the face, pretty much anything will seem like an improvement."

On Tijan Jobe, "Oh, Tijan. Tijan Tijan Tijan. God bless him. He looks incredibly interested in playing hard basketball, in rebounding, that sort of thing. That’s probably the nicest thing that can be said about his basketball ability right now."

Personally, Indiana's going to be fine. They have a good coach. As fans, we all have low expectations for this season. What we want is a team that plays hard, hustles, makes other team's beat us? That's what we are going to get. I just can't wait until we beat Purdue this year.

Friday, November 14, 2008

So...yesterday was quite a day. First, it was FULLY LOADED NACHOS day....the biggest baddest nacho 'treat' at Taco Bell. Being the first day, it was hectic. We went through more taco salad shells then I've ever seen us sell. The FL Nachos are good. They are essentially a nachos bell grande served in a Taco Salad with all sorts of goodies on top. You get two servings of sour cream, fiesta salsa, guacamole, shredded three-cheese blend, and red strips on top. If portioned correctly, this meal is great (although most doctors would cringe at all the fried toppings included).

Anyways, the day went pretty well. Right at the end of my day, I get a call and the closing manager could not make it. So being the opportunist that I am and all ready having today (Friday) and Saturday off, I jump at the opportunity to close. It allows me to trade my schedule on Sunday for a full weekend off....hallelujah! When word spread throughout the team, they got pretty happy because they really like to work with me. In fact, if you were in the restaurant, you would likely have heard a few songs from Grease 1, Grease 2, and several other great sing-alongs. But either way, they were excited and we had a pretty good close. Even if it was 17 hours into my workday, we still were pretty good. We were fast (Drive thru wait was only about 2 minutes), clean (we were even able to reach all those forgotten spots like the mop sink), and efficient (we managed labor to perfection).

Ahh, but the stories not over, today I wake up to a text message. My weekend plans have been dashed. My boss still wants me to cover Sunday...I don't know about this. I think I've earned my time. We'll see.

But, early this morning, when I got home, I had this cute picture waiting in my inbox. Stacy shared it with me from LOLcats...it's hilarious.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Here's a picture from earlier this summer. Stacy and I visited our local winery, Mallow Run. It was very hot, and she decided to take a break from the summer sun and sit in the shade. While she was resting, I took this great photo. Enjoy!!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Hey, it's time for a little Americana. Let's get back to our roots. It's almost Friday. I've just purchased me a bottle of wine. Some good, "rhubarb wine" from Mallow Run. So for all my readers, this is for you

John Mellencamp - Sweet Love

The first single from John's new album, Life, Death, Love and Freedom, is the track "My Sweet Love"!

Enjoy!!!!

Ahh, what the hell....You can't listen to Mellencamp without listening to Jack and Diane..so hear it is

Apparently, current first dog, Barney, is having some issues coping with the changing administration. According to Yahoo, Reuters political reporter Jon Decker was bitten by Barney today and had to be treated by the White House physician.

Here's the scene, Decker just finished his interview. He's getting up to leave as the Barney and his handler enter the room. As he's reaching down to pet Barney, he gets nipped on the finger.

Decker's reply, "That's not good."

My guess as to what Barney's reply would be, "What till I see that Obama".

Anyways, I thought that was an interesting story. Then the news cut to some story about Palin. Blah, blah, blah!

Bloomington, Indiana - The Indiana University Athletic Department has announced that it has begun selling newly available season tickets to the general public through the IU Athletic Ticket Office. Single game tickets also are available through all Ticketmaster locations.

IU has sold out of its dedicated allotment of tickets for public renewals, faculty and staff. The newly available tickets come from the inventory of unused student tickets. However, the department will continue to offer student season tickets for sale throughout the campaign.

"As I said earlier this year about our players, this is a great opportunity for someone who maybe hasn't had the opportunity before to become involved with our program from the ground up," said first-year Coach Tom Crean. "We have been overwhelmed with support from throughout the state and we are hopeful that this opportunity will give many a chance to become more intimately involved with this year's team as we look toward the future. We look forward to Assembly Hall filling up game after game like it has always been."

Season tickets are on sale for $451 for the general public and $210 for students. Single game tickets are available for $23 for the general public and $15 for students. Tickets for Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois are $38 for the general public.

Single game floor tickets ($30) also are available for games against Northeastern (Dec. 22), Lipscomb (Dec. 28) and Michigan (Jan. 7)

To order season tickets, contact the IU Athletic Ticket Office at 866-IUSPORTS or visit IUHoosiers.com. To purchase single game tickets prior to the day of the game, visit Ticketmaster.com.

From Lenny9987: Who doesn't love Phyllis? She may be a little quiet at times but when she has something to say, she makes it count. Don't underestimate this little lady. I don't own The Office, NBC does.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Ahh, let's start this post of with some Rolling Stones for a wonderful, fall Saturday.

Okay, now, that's a cool song! Anyways, I'm not really at my most productive self today. The blogger at Lifehack.org would be pretty disappointed in me today.

Today's task....cleaning and storing the grill for winter.

I'm kind of sad, because my grill season is officially over and I only made it four recipe's into my grill book, but I'm also proud of my cooking skills. This year with my new 16,000 btu grill, I've been able to do some kick-a** ribs, some awesome burgers, and even started perfecting some steaks. I can't wait to break it out next year.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Just got this in my inbox and I thought it would be a fun thing to share.

A Dog's Purpose (from a 6-year-old's perspective).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure or the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been l istening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.

I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.'

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

* When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. * Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy-ride. * Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy. * Take naps. * Stretch before rising. * Run, romp, and play daily. * Thrive on attention and let people touch you. * Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. * On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. * On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. * When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. * Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. * Be loyal. * Never pretend to be something you're not. * If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. * When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by,and nuzzle them gently.

It's almost Halloween, and I haven't had much time to enjoy it. Even tomorrow, I'll be working all day. So here's to my Halloween Thursday celebration!

Let's start the festivities with some M. Night Shyamalan. That's right, I just finished watching 'The Happening'. Talk about getting the shivers. First, this movie is Saw. It's not Jason, or Friday, and it's certainly not another Sixth Sense. It's somewhere in between. You do a lot of 'What the hell just happened'. The big question this movie asks is "What would you say if you knew you were going to die". In the end, this is still a Shyamalan film, it uses symbolism, character depth, and a subpar story lines to scare the hell out of you.

In a recent article by L. Jon Wertheim, entitled Tom Crean's Big Red Challenge, we learn about the soap opera history of Indiana Basketball in the last decade. He really brings to light the mistakes made by Indiana University and the challenges ahead of the program. Most of all, Tom Crean, Indiana's new head coach, has begun to re-structure the program. As it states in the article, "While it might be in slightly used condition, the soul of Indiana basketball is not for sale."

Here's a quick piece from the story:

When Illinois coach Bruce Weber, perhaps still smarting from Sampson's ethically questionable recruitment of Eric Gordon, predicted in June that "Indiana will suck" this season, surely he could have chosen more delicate words. But few would disagree with the sentiment. As Crean warned his players, "The perception: You're probably going to be picked to finish dead last in the Big Ten. The reality: [At least] you're going to make it big on television."

Crean balances Midwest pragmatism with heaps of optimism. Here's a man who doesn't see the glass as half full. He sees it as overflowing. With Dom Pérignon. From 1975. The challenges, he says, have only hardened his resolve "to see this through." He is "pumped up" by the reception he's received from fans. The hard times that await? "I didn't take this job for the immediate--and I've had to remind myself of that at least eight dozen times--for where it's at now. I took this for where it's been and where it can possibly go."

(I wasn't really falling in this picture, I'm just a darn good actor!)

We recently took a fall romp to Brown County. During fall season, its absolutely stunning with all the fall colors, and there's always a million things to do. Here's a few pictures I'd like to share from our trip.

(In this picture you can see stacy getting mauled by a big ugly bear)

(Finally, here's our picnic at the Brown County State Park, we had strawberries, concord grapes, pineapple, and CHOCOLATE CAKE.) We also had KFC, but we ate it all before we got to the park.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

I'm crazy. I know. But my parents made me that way. As my wife has pointed out several times in the past weeks, those fuzzy looking caterpillar insects (Wooly Worms) cannot predict the weather. Well, I beg to differ. I've always been told, if you see a lot of dark ones, then you are in for a bad winter. And, I have only seen dark ones this fall.

Here's a better explanation from "The Green Line" : Folklore has it that woolly worms are really miniature weather forecasters. Careful observation of these short, fuzzy caterpillars in the fall supposedly can tell you what kind of weather the coming winter will hold.

The woolly worms of winter weather forecasting fame are black at each end with a reddish brown band in the middle. The size of the brown band is said to be an indicator of winter's severity. The narrower the band, the harsher the winter. If woolly worms are more brown than black and the middle band tends toward orange, that indicates the winter will be mild.

Well, that's a fun bit of folk wisdom, but it's simply not true. The experts at the West Virginia University Extension Service say there is no scientific evidence suggesting that woolly worms can predict the weather.

Woolly worm is a common name for the larval stage of the Isabella tiger moth. The scientific name for this insect is Pyrrhactia isabella. Other common names for this caterpillar are woolly bears, black-ended bears and banded woolly bears (the name approved by the Entomological Society of America).

Woolly worms grow from 1-3 inches long and are found throughout the United States.

So far, I've seen 4 black tipped worms. 1 in my garage, which I saved by placing him outside on my pear tree, and three crossing the road. Needless to say, I've already dug out the snow shovel, boots, and winter gloves.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

This is a little dated, but here's a video from comedy writer Bob Kushell (the writer for Samantha Who?), and it was produced during the writers strike. Anyways, here's how it ties to me and why I'm posting it.

Monday, October 20, 2008

There's a lot of things being said about Barack Obama that I personally don't believe are true. For everyone who is struggling to find the truth, be sure to read what both parties say. Here's a link to Barack's website that spells out many of the issues being spoken about Barack Obama.

This is one of the main reasons that I support Barack Obama. He puts everything into the open. From his 'Plan for America' pamphlet, to his user friendly website, and even the Barack TV video link, I feel that Obama gives America something they seek in this election. Something that we do not get from John McCain and haven't felt in the last 8 years, Obama gives us a sense of security.

If you've read this far, then you are likely interested in what I'm saying, so here's one last tidbit. If you really disagree, and want a "Joe the Plumber" sign, click here.

Taco Bell is giving away tacos. As a promotion tied into the 2008 MLB World Series, Taco Bell is giving free tacos for everyone in America. Here's a quick break down of how it works:

One taco per person/ per day, as long as the game features a stolen base. The tacos can only be redeemed on 'redemption day' (October 28th for games 1 thru 4 of the World Series) and (November 3rd for games 5 thru 7).

So if Chase Utley steals a base in game 1 of the World Series, be sure to visit your local Taco Bell on the 28th for your free taco. If he steals a base in game 2, tough luck because you only get one taco. Either way, its still free food, and you can't beat free food.